Right in Front of Me
by PrincessBellePrinceAdam
Summary: He's been there for her every time she's ever needed him. But the one time he isn't changes everything. Bobby/Kitty, implied Kurt/Wanda, one-sided Kurt/Kitty; please read A/N.


_A/N: OK, so I think Kitty is kinda OOC. But the lack of Bobby/Kitty centered stories in this fandom makes me sad, because I think they're an adorable couple so I decided to post this anyway. _

_Also, I was experimenting with a different style than I normally use, and I think it works for this._

_So that being said, please read this rubbish and let me know what you think._

**Right In Front of Me**

She phases into his room in the middle of the night, unable to sleep. She is so upset, and she needs the comfort of her best friend.

He is sleeping peacefully. She hates to bother him, but she decides that he probably won't mind. He is the one who has always been there for her, and now is not any different.

"Bobby?" she asks in a quiet whisper, giving her friend a gentle shake. He groans softly into his pillow, but then he rolls over and looks up. His eyes focus on her face, and seeing her so sad hurts him.

He sits up, stretching out his arms. She slides into bed with him, and his arms fold around her in a cool, soothing embrace. "Oh, Kit," he whispers into her hair. He has no idea why she's in his room in the middle of the night, but he's not going to turn her away.

She doesn't cry, but she buries her face in his shoulder and winds her arms around him. She feels kind of limp, like she just doesn't care anymore. He's never seen her so defeated; Kitty is just as brave and tough as the rest of the team. He holds her a little tighter.

Kitty is grateful that Bobby does not ask what is wrong. It is not in his nature to pry, and it is more than enough for him to be holding her like this. He is her greatest source of comfort when she's upset.

Finally, she looks up at him, attempting a weak smile. "Thanks, Bobby," Kitty murmurs appreciatively. Bobby nods but doesn't let go of her just yet. He knows she doesn't want to be alone, not when she's so upset. The blond mutant plays with Kitty's hair, smiling at her.

"You can stay, if you want," Bobby tells her. He's figured out why Kitty looks so hurt. It bothers him that she's so troubled over Kurt's relationship with Wanda, but he's also known that she's had a crush on Kurt for a long time now. But he tells himself that there's still hope. After all, she still picks him to come to when she needs someone.

Kitty does not argue with him. She brushes her lips across his cheek and smiles at him before lying down. He joins her, keeping her in his arms. He wants her to know that he'll never leave her.

Her question comes long after he has assumed she is sleeping. "Is there something wrong with me?"

His response is automatic. "You're perfect, Kitty. You're smart and funny and brave and kind. Anyone would be lucky to have you. Trust me just this once." Bobby locks gazes with the younger girl he is holding, and he can tell she believes him.

Kitty goes to sleep after that, but Bobby lies awake for a long time. He wonders why she is so heartbroken over a crush. When the thought that it may not be just a crush crosses his mind, he pushes it away. He kisses Kitty's forehead and closes his eyes, finally drifting off to sleep.

0o0o0o0

A few weeks go by, and Kitty seems to be herself again. She teases Forge and laughs at Bobby's bad jokes and she does not seem to mind when Kurt goes to see Wanda. Bobby feels better to see Kitty acting normal once more. He allows himself to hope it was just a silly crush and that she will soon realize his feelings for her are more than friendship.

She's never mentioned the night she spent in his room, and neither has he. He thinks about it a lot, though. It was natural for him to hold her like that, and he wouldn't mind doing it again.

He gets his chance when Kurt brings Wanda around for dinner. Now that Magneto is no longer running Genosha, the team thinks it may be a good idea to maintain some sort of alliance with the island.

Wanda is very polite to the team, and even Logan is on his best behavior. There is laughter around the table, but only Bobby notices when Kitty slips out of the dining room. He gives a flimsy excuse and follows her out of the room.

He just manages to slip into her room before she slams the door and locks it. He watches silently as Kitty paces back and forth and rants about how horrible Wanda is. And then Kitty folds herself onto her bedroom floor and sobs. Bobby is at her side in half a second, hugging her tightly. This is not a side of Kitty that he sees often, and it worries him.

After a while she allows her sobs to subside, and she looks at him with so much pain in her pretty eyes that he seriously considers beating up Kurt.

"She's prettier than me." It's not a question, but a statement. It breaks his heart because he thinks she's gorgeous.

"Kit, you're beautiful," Bobby tells her sincerely, and then he carefully wipes her face until it is free of tears. "And do you really think Kurt is shallow enough to like her because she's pretty?"

Kitty manages to give him a ghost of her smile, and he mirrors her expression. "I guess not." The tiniest trace of pink finds its way to Kitty's cheeks. "You really think that, don't you Bobby?"

The blond mutant nods and Kitty's face lights up with delight. He tells himself it is such a cliché to think that her smile takes his breath away, but there is no other way to describe it. Bobby folds his arms around her once more for a brief moment, and then he stands, helping Kitty to her feet.

"Come on," he tells her, "I bet we can still get some dessert."

"Race you," she says, eyes sparkling.

"You're on," he accepts, and he smiles to himself as Kitty darts out of her bedroom through the wall. "Not fair!" he shouts as he unlocks her door and chases after her. Somewhere down the hall, Kitty lets out a laugh, and things are back to normal once more.

0o0o0o0

The weeks fly by again, and all is well. Wanda is invited to the estate a few more times, and she's earning the trust of the X-Men. During one of her visits, Bobby suggests she try the Danger Room. It ends up that him and Kitty team against Kurt and Wanda. He and Kitty win, and after she teases Kurt a little bit, she turns to Bobby and hugs him. It's been a long time since she's hugged him out of joy, and he takes the opportunity to return the embrace.

But later, as he goes to get himself a snack, he sees Kitty phase through the wall from outside, and her gaze is focused on the floor. She doesn't notice that Bobby is standing there, and he knows as she runs away that she's heartbroken over Kurt and Wanda yet again.

Bobby opens one of the doors and looks around to see what has happened to reduce Kitty to tears this time. He spots Nightcrawler and the Scarlet Witch in the distance. They are saying good–bye, very enthusiastically. He sighs to himself and goes back inside.

The blond mutant opts not to get a snack after all and he heads back to his room. When Bobby opens the door, he sees that Kitty is sitting on his bed, waiting for him. Her eyes lock on him, and she gets up, walking towards him with her arms outstretched.

But something is different this time. Something in him seems to break. He realizes suddenly that he's so tired of this. He's tired of being the one who comforts her. He's tired of being the best friend. He's tired of waiting around and hoping she'll love him back one day.

She's staring up at him now, puzzled instead of hurt. She has no idea why he has not snatched her up in one of his bear hugs and told her all the usual comforting things. "Bobby?" Kitty asks, just like she had that night all those weeks ago. Her voice shakes slightly.

"I just can't do this anymore, Kitty," he says apologetically but firmly. Bobby pretends it does not break his heart to see Kitty look away with fresh pain on her face. His rejection of her was causing her _more_ heart ache. But there is a little voice in his head that tells him not to back down, that he needs to do this. He deserves to be happy too, and he can't be if he's too busy mopping up Kitty's tears.

"You can't do _what_ anymore?" the brunette demands, but there is another tremble in her voice behind her anger and confusion. He hates himself, but he has to stay firm. Bobby takes a deep breath.

"I'm so sick and tired of it all. I get what it's like to have feelings for someone you think will never return them. I know that it sucks and that it must hurt you to see Kurt with Wanda. But you have to understand that she's who he picked. And I hate to say it, Kitty, but it doesn't look like that's going to change any time soon."

He's breathing heavily now, and Kitty is looking at him as if she's been slapped. He guesses that she's going to start crying again at any second. But it feels so therapeutic to get all these thoughts off his chest, and he can't bring himself to stop. "I can't be your best friend anymore. I can't be second best. I can't be the one you come crying to. It's hard for me to see you broken like this, Kitty. Especially because _I _would _never_ do this to you. _I_ would _never_ hurt you. And if you would just open your eyes you would see that I'm in love with you!"

She lets out a little gasp of shock and stares at him, her mouth hanging open. "Bobby," Kitty murmurs again, feeling the familiar sting of tears. "It's not like that. You're not second best. I…I never meant…"

And she stops attempting to make things right. She turns and runs through his wall, and he hears her crying. This time, though, he does not follow her.

0o0o0o0

Kitty runs out of Bobby's room as fast as her legs will carry her. She runs by a very confused–looking Hank, but does not stop to explain. When she reaches her room, she throws herself onto her bed and buries her face in her pillow.

She is an awful person, she thinks as she cries her heart out. How could she not have seen that Bobby is in love with her? She has to admit she's speculated a few times that her friend may have more than friendly feelings for her, but she honestly never thought he was in love with her. It all makes so much sense now.

The brunette mutant remembers the first day they met. She was new at the institute and didn't know anyone yet. At break, when she was sitting alone, a smiling blond boy about her own age sat down next to her and started talking to her. And then he introduced her to a group of kids, and just like that, she had friends_._

She remembers how after the school was destroyed, he threw his arms around her and told her he was glad to know she was safe. She remembers how he led her away and tried to calm her down. She remembers how he was the one who took her to the airport the day she went home.

Kitty remembers how they used to talk for hours almost every night during the year they were apart. He was always the one who kept the faith, who swore that everything was going to go back to the way it had been one day. He always knew exactly how to say what she needed to hear, and how to make her laugh. She remembers how they traded secrets, how she trusted him with information she had never told _anyone_ before. She remembers missing his bear hugs, and seeing that mischievous sparkle in his eyes…

She remembers how he came to see her on her seventeenth birthday. She remembers how it seemed to her that it was the best present she could have gotten.

She remembers how glad she was to see the helicopter than day. She knew it was Bobby who had told Logan and Hank where she was. And then the day Emma showed up, she was jealous. Not merely annoyed at the fact that Bobby would openly drool over her, but actually jealous.

Kitty comes to the conclusion that her crush on Kurt is just that: a silly little crush. And Bobby…well, she's always known she loves him, but now she realizes it's not the kind of love she thought it was.

Kitty Pryde is _in_ love with Bobby Drake. She sees it now, and knows that she probably should have known ages ago.

She's hurt him so much. Kitty has no idea how she's going to fix this mess she's caused, but she knows she has to. Because now that Kitty sees what a good thing she has in front of her, she's not going to let him go.

0o0o0o0

Kitty wakes up the next morning feeling completely drained. She hasn't had the most restful of nights, but she's pretty sure she deserves it.

She knows she's not going to be able to do anything until she speaks to Bobby. She rushes through her morning routine, needing to talk to him as soon as possible.

The brunette finds Bobby out on the bench that overlooks the ocean. If he hears her coming, he ignores her. Kitty lets out a quiet sigh; she knows she deserves the cold shoulder Bobby's giving her, but it still hurts more than she'd like.

Kitty sits down next to him, and he slides a little father away. "Kitty," Bobby mutters, "I really want to be alone right now."

She nods, respecting his wishes. She gets up again, moving to stand in front of him. He looks up at her, and the female mutant locks her gaze with his. "I just want you to know that I'm really sorry, Bobby. I never meant for this to happen. I know I've really hurt you, and I'm _so_ sorry." Kitty leans down and kisses his cheek.

She then starts to walk away, blinking back more tears. She's been such a little girl lately, crying all over the place. And it wasn't like she was expecting that fixing things between her and Bobby was going to be easy. She wishes he would at least listen to what she has to say.

Kitty has a speech planned out, and maybe one day he'll want to hear everything she wants to tell him. Kitty wants to tell him she loves how he makes her laugh, even though his jokes are corny and dumb. She wants to tell him how much she worries about him, because he has a tendency to take his bravery and recklessness to the point of stupidity. She wants to tell him how she loves the way his eyes sparkle, and how she feels safe in his arms…

"Wait," Bobby says suddenly. He can't let her walk away again. At the sound of his voice Kitty spins around and runs back to where he is sitting. She phases through the bench and solidifies before sitting beside him once more. "Kitty," he says gently, taking her in his arms. "It's alright."

But Kitty draws back, shaking her head. It's too easy. He can't just forgive her. She hasn't even begun to earn his forgiveness. "No it's not. You were right, Bobby. I was selfish and immature. I…I was so upset, I didn't think about you or your feelings." There's shame on her face as she looks up to meet his gaze now. "I think I always kind of knew you had a crush on me, and I was only thinking of myself. All I cared about was how I needed you, because you always understand…"

"What are best friends for?" he asks, smiling a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. Bobby pulls her close again, and he closes his eyes as Kitty snuggles against him.

They sit like that in silence for awhile, perfectly comfortable. And then he very quietly tells Kitty, "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have yelled at you the way I did. You were upset enough as it was, and you had every right to be. I probably didn't help matters any." The blond mutant smiles at Kitty, but to his surprise her eyes narrow at him.

He _had_ helped, actually. What he had said last night…it changed everything. "So you're taking it back?" she demands to know. "You don't love me anymore?"

Bobby's eyes widen at Kitty's accusation. He marvels at her ability to constantly confuse him. He had thought when she ran out of his room last night it was a pretty straight–forward rejection. He shakes his head in disbelief before twisting to get a better look at his female companion. "I didn't say that Kitty," Bobby tells her, and there is a sharp undertone to his words.

"Then what _are_ you saying?" the little brunette challenges her best friend. "Tell me what you really feel, Bobby. Just this once."

The blond boy takes a deep breath. Kitty is staring at him with what he recognizes to be her determined look, steely and forceful. She is still waiting for him to say something. And oh God, he wants to kiss her. It's not as if he's never thought about doing this before. He just can't bring himself to, though. She's vulnerable right now, and he won't take advantage of her.

"You like Kurt," he says finally. "I'm your best friend. I get it."

He considers this whole mess. She seemed so offended at the thought of him possibly taking back his hastily spoken 'I love you,' from last night. Now she's looking at him sadly. "Please, Bobby," she says again, "Just tell me. Did you mean it?" She's pleading with him. It can only mean one thing, Bobby reasons.

She loves him, too. He can see it in her eyes as she stares at him expectantly. And he's not going to question the conclusion Kitty seems to have come to. All that maters it that he's not going to have to lose Kitty to anyone else.

"Kit," he says, "I meant everything that I ever said to you." He meets her gaze with a serious look on his face, and as she processes his words and reacts to them, he swears he's never seen her happier.

This statement seems to be what Kitty has been waiting for. "Good," she says firmly, "Because I love you, too. I should have seen it ages ago, I know. I was blind, cliché as that sounds. I just didn't see what I had right in front of me." She shakes her head, feeling silly.

But Bobby grins. He very gently cups her chin in his hand and tilts her head up so he can finally kiss her.

It's a sweet, gentle kiss, and when he pulls back, Kitty grins at him. "Right in front of me," she mumbles to herself, shaking her head. She kisses him again, holding him close as she does so, and this time, it's not nearly as gentle or sweet.


End file.
